Shoot Straight for the Heart
by feeltheRUSH
Summary: Set post canon. Artemis is not shy with her feelings, Robin knows it, and Grayson's about to find out. Robin/Artemis, YJ Anon Fill.
1. Chapter 1

_A fill for a YJ Anon Meme prompt._

_"Rob/Art_  
><em>1618_  
><em>Artemis has it bad for Dick Grayson. It took her a year to come to terms with it. And not one to shy away from her feelings, Art asks Dick straight out to be her prom date.<em>  
><em>Established friendship, optional.<em>  
><em>SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN! ;_; There aren't many RobArt fics out (understatement). I need this fix relieved somehow!"_

_Let me state that craving, little anon. Hurrr._

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><p><strong>Shoot Straight for the Heart<br>**Artemis

"Sorry, Megan, love to, but can't," Artemis said callously, giving the Martain a small flick of the wrist. She ignored how the girl's face fell, one second glowing with anticipation, the next, utterly crestfallen. Well, the archer thought, she had other plans for the weekend, and Megan's constant pleas for sisterly attention was starting to get to her.

"Oh," the other girl turned her face away, absently tucking her shiny red hair behind an ear, lips pressed together unhappily. Clearly, she was disappointed. Artemis, however, felt no compunction for grinding her teammate's plan into the dust. Her heart fluttered faintly in her chest at the thought of her alternative agenda. Still avoiding Artemis' hard gaze, the alien girl said vaguely, "Well maybe Superboy will join me at the mall."

Hiding a snort, Artemis crossed her arms, still awestruck by how utterly naive Miss Martian could be. "I don't think that's up his alley," she replied ruthlessly. Then, feeling a twinge of sympathy at Megan's wince, she added quickly, "Besides, isn't Canary taking him for a sidealong mission?" Artemis' wasn't making excuses. In lieu of Superman, Black Canary had made it a personal goal to be a mentor figure for the clone. The exceedingly handsome, brooding, muscled hunk of clone. Artemis still held a fragile hope that his piercing blue eyes might unglue themselves from Megan for a moment and glance her way instead. Maybe that was why Artemis got so snippy with her fellow female fighter half the time. But, as of yet, her bluntness with the Martian hadn't made Conner turn her way, so maybe she'd try and tone down her hostility toward the alien.  
>Megan finally looked at Artemis again, sincere hope in her amber eyes. "Do you think Wally might want to come? Or Robin?"<p>

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Artemis supposed she should've been thankful that Megan had the sense not to ask about Kaldur. He was spending a great deal of time back in Atlantis whenever he had spare time. Judging from the contented tiredness that seemed omni-present in the former leader's eyes, Artemis would hazard a guess that he had found himself a girlfriend. After all, only a girl could make a guy look that happy.

Wally, so far as she knew, was still avidly avoiding Mount Justice, so that saved him from an excursion to the mall with M'Gann.

The thought of the speedster's willing absence irritated the archer.

He was being stupid (well stupider). Why? Artemis couldn't quite say. They had finally settled into each other's company, even enjoying a few casual, borderline playful conversations together. But maybe it was too much to hope that they could've been friends, because, suddenly, after one of their more personal conversations, Wally had started ducking out whenever she entered a room.

She, naturally, had tried to head-on confront the slippery little speedster, but as luck would have it, he had superspeed, and thus, was a difficult boy to catch. So, they remained in this awkward stage of something that resembled the post break up phase. Not that they were ever romantic. He was too... scatterbrained, and by that, she meant, he never used his brain and liked to scatter his flirtatious wiles to any girl who happened to be passing his line of sight.

Then there was Robin, the current leader of Young Justice. The acrobat had really spurted up since the first time she met him. Quite attractive, but as secretive as ever. Sometimes it drove her crazy. His veiled hints and cryptic words left her irritated and wanting to shoot something.

Still, they had a good relationship. He was her Acrobat-friend and she was his Archer-friend. Afriends. They'd touched on some uncomfortable topics, trusting each other with a few tidbits of intimate knowledge. And just like when he had advised her on how to improve her relationship with Wally (he was the speedster's best bro, so Robin was extremely knowledgeable on the quirks and tics of the redheaded superhero), she had advised him on how to befriend Batgirl. The newest member of the Batfamily had left quite a negative impression on the Boy Wonder, but he had soldiered on and no one was none the wiser that Robin's sudden change in attitude toward the Batgirl was due to Artemis' careful aid.

They were close. Comfortably close.

A trip to the mall was definitely not in Robin's M.O., not even with his newly discovered raging hormones that might've convinced him otherwise. She shook her head, silky hair brushing the exposed small of her back, saying simply, "I don't thi-"

"My Batman senses are tingling," a voice announced.

Artemis and Megan both turned around, searching for the source such a pleasing voice. Passing through the doorway into the kitchen, Robin danced in. Danced really wasn't the right word, Artemis thought vaguely, giving Robin an unimpressed look, but that boy can move. She was definitely admiring his tousled head of jet black hair and his slim acrobat's physique from behind her hooded stare.

"Hello, Robin!" Megan greeted enthusiastically. Robin responded in kind.

"You wish you were Batman, Twerp," the archer shot at him, watching him lean up on the counter.  
>His grin was easy, but there was a mild adoration behind the expression. Common knowledge: Robin was insanely loyal to Batman. Far closer to his mentor than Artemis was to Green Arrow, but not as... comfortable (for want of a better word) as the two Flash's partnership. Nonetheless, the dark-haired sixteen year old obviously held Batman in some kind of god status, but without the 'god-fearing' perception that most of Gotham's lowlifes held. "I can have hopes, can't I, Afriend," his lips twitched into a wider smile. "And I'm taller than you, so if anyone's a twerp here, it'd be the pretty blonde girl giving me the death glare."<p>

Artemis rolled her eyes. Megan took the brief silence to launch her proposal at the Boy Wonder. "Robin, if you're not doing anything this weekend, I'd-" she began, eyes shining. Artemis again, repressed a snort. Whoever had introduced Megan to the mall was the biggest dweeb of all time. Oh wait, that made Artemis the biggest dweeb of all time. She sighed internally. At the time, taking Megan to the mall had seem harmless. But it had turned into something of a rampaging addiction.

"Sorry, Miss M," Robin cut in gently, his voice, once a high-pitched annoying squeak, had lowered a few sonorous octaves. He reached out and patted her arm. Friendly, light. Slightly guarded. "I've already got plans this weekend."

"Oh," Megan wilted again, and, unlike the archer, Robin seemed a little guilty.

"Next, next weekend I'm open," Robin suggested. Artemis bristled unconsciously, then relaxed. She had been sitting on a coupon for laser tag for the past two weeks. In Wally's absence, Artemis had been toying with asking the Boy Wonder instead. Superboy would've been her first pick, but she doubted he'd be able to catch on before their round was up. Robin would be much more of a challenge and a pleasure to beat. Maybe she'd ask him next, next, next weekend.  
>Megan smiled brightly, honestly uplifted by the idea of hanging out with her friends. Artemis relented somewhat, agreeing briefly with the popular opinion that the Martian girl was (sometimes) the sweetest thing.<p>

A curl of smoke wafted through the air. Robin and Artemis instinctively looked to Megan. The green girl straightened, then hurried to the smoking oven.

While the alien was busy, Artemis jerked her head toward the exit. Robin nodded. Megan was sweet, but there was a limit on how much the archer could handle before she got a toothache. Striding away, she was glad when the Boy Wonder glided in beside her. Playfully, she bumped her hip into his, catching him offguard, a rare victory.

"So, what're you doing this weekend?" she asked, smirking as he rubbed his smarting hip. "The Bat want to perform the old Dynamic Duo routine?"

"Naturally, naturally," Robin said, giving her a sidelong glance. His lips twisted into a crooked smile. His coy expression meant he was lying, or he was plotting revenge.

"Well, see you next week then, Afriend," she said, entering the Zeta-Beam teleporter. There was a hum, a flash of bright light, then she was gone.

Later, at her small Gotham apartment, as she sat recalibrating her gear, she found herself thinking she'd trade her incendiary arrows for a one of Cupid's. Because tomorrow at school, she was going to ask that little shit, Grayson-Wayne to the Senior Prom.

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><p><em>Am I horrible for betraying canon and my favorite couple? Well, it hurts so good. Imeanwhat? It's late. So. My reasons for writing this? I wanted practice, my muse was flowing, and I like this couple. The fact that my strongest suits are Robin and Artemis has absolutely nothing to do with it. :P<em>

_Edited; some minor grammar issues, semantics, and bumped up Dick to a junior instead of a sophomore._


	2. Chapter 2

__Conflicts of interest and the strain of two identies really stink, don't they Mr. Grayson?__

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><p><strong>Shoot Straight for the Heart<br>**Dick

Mondays. Everyone hates Mondays. Especially this Monday. Dick had been praying that somehow he'd wake up and it'd be magically Tuesday (the thought of Wally's face, in response to magic, helped soothe his unease) or, maybe he'd get swine flu. Or something. Because Dick Grayson-Wayne did not want to go to school. His rational thought told him it would be a very bad idea to check into Gotham Academy today. But Alfred was not about to let him play hooky (again).

Adjusting his necktie, Dick stepped out of the limousine into the brisk morning air, staring up at the stately front of Gotham City Academy. The repairs caused by Superboy and the Amazo had been repaired, the cost cut down to nothing due to generous donations of the wealthy parents and alumni.

It was exactly twenty-three minutes before the first bell. Not only had Alfred denied him his right to skip school, the butler-turned-chauffeur had dropped him off a near half an hour early. All his homework had been long since finished, so there was the idle question of what he supposed to do this unexpected excess of time. Thirty minutes was not enough time to pull off an elaborate prank. And after the stink bomb had shut down the west wing (it was only _coincidence_ that Babs' history class was in the same building), Bruce had assured him there would be hell to pay if he tried to revive his unofficial war on Barbara.

Thinking about the Comissioner's daughter was never a good start to his day. Shifting his backpack on his shoulders, Dick muttered, "Fantastic. Truly turbing."

A light tap on his shoulder made him turn. Alternatively, his heart skipped a beat and his stomach clenched with dread. And, of course, he told himself the dread was borne of Batman's disapproving stare; no one should be able to sneak up on _Robin._

"Hey Grayson, you're here early," a deliciously raspy voice said in his ear. Supressing a shudder, Dick turned, simultaneously taking a step backward, away from the girl accosting him. He admitted to himself she had all the grace of a tiger, catching him off guard. Next time, he might even let her see him shiver.

Bemusedly, almost resignedly, Dick mused to himself at the sight of the blonde archer in disguise. Bruce had good intentions at heart when he awarded Artemis Crock a full Wayne Scholarship to Gotham City Academy, but boy, those good intentions caused his ward a lot of grief. Not at first. Not back when he was a brainac freshman and she was a haughty sophomore. There was no attraction back then (well, except a little. Dick had been thirteen but he hadn't been _blind_), only the desire to pester Artemis and faintly allude that Dick Grayson knew a little more than was strictly plausible. But now, they were approaching the end of their junior and senior years. He'd finally shot upward and filled out and she... she'd got, well, prettier.

He felt guilty thinking "Artemis" and "pretty" together. Sure, it was true... But, Wally, his best bro had enlisted _him_ to help him figure out the mystery that was Artemis. And it had never been Dick _or_ Robin's intention to do anything besides use that as an excuse to troll the both of them.

Uncovering Arty's secrets was unnecessary at that point; Robin had known about Artemis' secret identity, her family history, and her tangled past mere days after her admission to the Team. Not because _Batman_ told him, mind you. The only time the Dark Knight had discussed Artemis with Robin was when he said, "Keep an eye on her" on the first day of school.

Robin had had to find out the rest the "hard" way: hacking his way through the BatComputer. But maybe Robon hadn't covered his tracks as neatly as he intended or maybe Batman was just defending his title as the World's Greatest Detective. The day afer Robin had immersed himself in Artemis' personal files, he found Batman typing long, intermingling codes into the supercomputer, strengthening firewalls and laying hidden safeguards. However the real giveaway that Robin's hacking hadn't gone unnoticed was the slight upward curl of his mentor's lips.

Since then, Robin acquiesced to his mentors request to watch out for Artemis, while keeping the archer's past confidential. Even from KF.

That wasn't the only reason Robin felt an uncomfortable twist in his gut thinking about his Afriend. Privately, he _knew_ Wally liked Artemis. And not in the hopeful, puppy-dog adoration way Wally tailed after M'gann either. And, maybe, for a brief window of time, Artemis had felt the same.

While the two had been tentatively trading spite for traught, Robin was carrying out his promise to Wally, and "researching" Artemis, both as Robin and as Dick Grayson. And it had been simple keeping his identities separate entities. Robin was light-hearted and purposefully sarcastic, becoming her Afriend their common lack of meta abilities and the tidbits of their tragic pasts they fed each other. Dick was played more aloof- borderline condescending- and politely disdainful, but always with an undercurrent of playfulness in his tone as he called her "Crock".

Yet somehow, through his careful planning, his two personas started merging.

Not because Dick had slipped and called Crock "Afriend" and not because Robin had politely asked Artemis if she understood the day's curriculum.

It was because both Dick and Robin were falling for her snarky mouth and her sharp eyes. And the way she walked determinedly down the hallways of Gotham Academy, and the way she had covered up how shaken she was as she picked glass from his arm, and the way her eyebrows flicked up when Dick explained he'd gotten his arm caught in Bruce's Lamborghini.

There were so many traits and quirks about her that Robin had observed.

A-and he didn't think he could chose a favorite.

But, the way she was eyeing him right now, with a smirk in place and gleam in her eye, was definitely up there.

...how had this gone from a simple recon mission to this... _thing_, was beyond him.

"Well, Crock, I was on my way to English. Despite my arguments otherwise, Ms. Dodsworth still refuses to recognize "bominable" as a legitimate word," Dick said lightly, facing the blonde girl with a completely serious expression.

That threw her a little, and her eyebrows pushed together in confusion. Maybe it was deja vu. Because Robin had called her bominable (the opposite of abominable) a few weeks prior. Dick hid a smile.

"But, now that I'm here, you'll be talking to me instead," Artemis supplied forcefully, recovering her composure quickly. She leaned to one side, a manicured hand resting on her the cinched waistband of her pleated skirt. It was a Gotham Academy regulation for all female students to wear a skirt. Artemis expressed her severe distaste for this particular rule several times. Dick, on the other hand, was just fine with it. Not that he said so aloud of course.

He nodded mutely. His English grade was still in the ninty-eighth percentile; that chat with Ms. Dodsworth could wait.

Artemis grinned triumphantly, patting his cheek as a reward. When he jerked away, he was forcing down butterflies in his stomach. Usually this species of butterfly was indigenous to instances where he was in costume (flinging himself off rooftops, gracefully cutting down ranks of henchmen, that sort of thing), but lately, they started making an appearance whenever she touched him, even when the contact was nothing but casual.

But he shouldn't be feeling this way. She was off-limits.

Despite what she had said. Well, despite what Wally had _told_ him she said.

A year ago, Wally and Artemis just might've had a chance to have a budding relationship. The two where having friendly conversations that didn't degenerate into a fist shaped bruise on Wally's arm. In fact, the two were _generating_ quite a bit of chemistry, if Robin knew anything about relationships.

He had slapped Wally on the back and told the speedster _Wow Wally, I had lost hope for you, but man, Wally, look, she's not filed for a restraining order yet._

Wally had snorted indignantly then countered with a question about Batgirl.

That was a no-no and Robin had only given Wally a blank look.

Wally had hastily went on to offhandedly say that Dick Grayson had made an appearance in the latest conversation.

_Oh?_ Robin had said, waiting for his bro to explain himself.

And Wally had continued on, saying that Aretmis had only brought him up, not one time, but _two_ times in the past week, but it was no big deal. _Hey_, Wally had said with a conspiratorial wink,_ Dick might even be able to help me figure out old Artefact._

_Yeah,_ Robin had agreed with a grin, _I think Dick would be happy to help._

Dick gently peeled his thoughts from the past, finding himself being tugged along by his sleeve to a polished wooden benches, keeping a few paces of space between him and Artemis. He kept his eyes on her ponytail, fearing retribution if they strayed lower. Artemis pulled him down to sit with her, crossing her legs and giving him a faintly evil smile. Dick leaned slightly away from the beautiful girl, expression politely disengaging, like Bruce had taught him.

"So, Grayson," Artemis said.

He arched a brow, unintentionally flashing his _very_ blue eyes at her. She paused, her expression shifting slightly, and his trained ear caught her breath hitching slightly.

And suddenly, he _knew_. He _knew_ what was coming. And he for all his training, he had no frickin' idea how to handle it.

His thoughts began crashing into each other, like some bad freight train accident.

Oh man, Wally was not going to be okay with this. Wally had already given him the hurt-kicked-puppy look when Artemis' shift in conversation topic had frequented Dick Grayson. Robin had heard the edge in the speedster's voice as Wally described the look Artemis got whenever Grayson came up, and, oh no, crap, was _this_ the look Wally was talking about? No wonder Wally was spitting out 'Grayson' like an _over_whelmingly sour slice of lemon. Robin remembered trying to explain that he was only talking to Artemis because Wally had asked him to. He hadn't _meant_ Artemis to talk about Dick Grayson with a _look_. The redhead hadn't been impressed. Wally had muttered something and left for the kitchen.

And the speedster's grumble made sense to him now.

_Have fun at Prom._

The implications hit him in the face like a sledgehammer, and he had to fight against the impulse to widen his eyes and gasp dramatically. With Artemis sitting right there, obviously toying with her words, Robin had to make a calculated preemptive strike. Buy himself some time. Before the blonde could gather herself to pose the question that proportionally would bring the apocalypse to Robin's precarious balancing act, he was eking out an excuse and executing what hopefully _looked_ like an unhurried escape.

He cursed silently. As he chanced a glance backward, he saw Artemis' pressing her lips together, the hard line of her jaw offsetting the fragile-looking glimmer in her eye.

Honor the code. "Bros before hoes"...right?

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><p><em>Oh poor Grayson. I kinda enjoy watching you squirm though. So, yay me! : D<em>

_I had to edit this chapter to fix some aging/school issues. Dick Grayson is definitely a junior when Artemis is a senior, not a sophomore. My baaaad._

_And, for some reason, I can't make Robin swear. I have no problem with making Artemis swear. Or Wally, even. But I can't write little ickle Robbiepoo swearing. He gets it from me, I guess. XD And I couldn't think of a better way to phrase that "bros before hoes" code. I think there was one without the hoes bit, but Urban Dictionary ain' cooperating._

_Reviews make me happy and joyful and Red Bull is good for your soul. I highly recommend it, especially near midnight. Even on school nights. : P_


	3. Chapter 3

_[I UPDATED THIS CHAPTER, OH SHIIIZ NIBBLES]_

_Oh wow. I actually didn't know people liked this pairing! Consider this authoress pleasantly surprised at the amount of feedback I've been getting! Shala! I love you guys._

_So, now comes the tricky bit, my loyal readers. I... honestly, struggled on how to make this story epic. But I think I've got a deliciously devious plan._

_Cartoonnetwork owns Young Justice, even though I demand rights to Dick Grayson [and Wally, of course, shhh]._

_Enjoy the ride..._

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><p><strong>Shoot Straight for the Heart<br>**Artemis

Artemis narrowed her dark eyes, watching Grayson gather his backpack over a shoulder then prance away like some... Goddamn male model. She felt irritations itch along the base of her skull as she favored his retreating figure. Who would've guessed that that scrawny math nerd from last year would've grown up so handsomely? Certainly not her. She was as surprised as anyone to find out the hobbit had it in him.

Her naked nails plucked absently at the end of her braided, blonde hair, staring after Grayson's disappearing backside before pursing her lips and standing. _That little shit._ He was trying to avoid her? Play hard to get? Ha. Unlike Wally, she was positive Grayson didn't have superspeed, so cornering him would be no problem. Despite his abrupt, rude exit, she smirked, sharp eyes gleaming, rather sadistically. _Just you wait until after school, Grayson. Just you wait._

A harrowing six periods later, Artemis shoved her Calculus book into her bag, muttering that she liked the math at Gotham North much better. _That _teacher just slept all period, allowing full, creative freedom for the students, who took complete advantage of the free time, creating stink bombs and paper airplanes. And, of course, everyone got an easy A of course. Not like this uptight, snooty school. God, Artemis hated it here. Except for one tiny detail...

Grayson caught her eye from across the room, his dark blue eyes widening as they gazed at each other from across the room. He had done an infuriatingly good job at dodging her all day, but, now, he couldn't slink away. Not when they had Calculus together. A small tinge of red flushed his cheeks, and he bent to collect his own papers from his desk, eyes darting away from her. Artemis caught the blush, feeling extremely pleased with herself. She was less pleased that the junior was being very, _deliberately _slow. All the normal students had leaped to their feet when the last bell echoed its saving grace through the school. But not Grayson. He wanted to make a snail look fast today. Artemis sneered at the back of his head, waiting at the door. She could wait. Albeit not patiently, but she could wait. She wondered if a Tigress ever got bored stalking her prey.

Despite her mentally willing him to hurry, Grayson_ continued_ putting his homework from his desk. _One. At. A. Time_.

Heaving an exasperated gasp, Artemis snapped, "Gee, and I thought icecaps moved slow." Maybe he was too dense to pick up that she was getting impatient. Even though Artemis _knew_Grayson was anything but.

He flinched at the sound of her voice, before giving up and simply scooping all his work into his backpack. The boy straightened, with a smirk to match hers. Clearly, he was smug bastard who enjoyed messing with Artemis' limited supply of patience. Drove her nuts. "Well, since I've got the A, I must be doing _something _right," Grayson said, trying to be snide but coming off as teasing. Artemis found herself watching the way his lips moved as he formed his words. He shifted minutely in his seat, a slight crease appearing between his brows.

"Oh, you're doing something right, it's the _pace _that needs work," she said hastily. After a beat, she added with mock relief, "Thank God you're not on the track team. We wouldn't be able to hold our esteemed noses in the air for shame of your slowness." She never passed up a chance to complain about the snotty, sterotypical people who were enrolled in Gotham City Academy.

The junior gave her a overly dramatic look of wounded pride, making her laugh reluctantly. "Ouch, I do believe my ego has been forcibly reduced to the size of a pea," he said reproachfully, rising to stand above her. He slung his backpack casually over one shoulder, moving across the room to stand at Artemis' side. She offered him a knowing smile and he answered with a rather uncertain upturn of his lips. The two began walking down the hallway, toward the exit, matching their strides so their legs moved in unison. As they walked, Grayson's fingertips grazed the back of her hand. A shot of adrenaline rushed through Artemis' chest, her head swinging around to look at him, to guage his reaction. His blue, blue eyes studied the tiles beneath their feet, then settled on hers. Something like mischief glittered in his eyes before he shrugged it off, saying, "Sorry."

They emerged from the shade of the hallway into the watery sunlight outside of Gotham Academy. They trotted down the stairs, Artemis grumbling about the omnipresent gloomy weather. Grayson snorted, asking her when she became such a pansy. He was rubbing a budding bruise on his arm as they settled on the same bench they had sat on that very morning. Artemis' heart skipped a beat, but she quelled her anticipation.

"So Crocky," he drawled mockingly, still massaging his upper arm, where she'd punched him, "what can I do for you today? Try and correct your dismal grade in math? Or go over a mutilated essay for English?" Behind his snark, Artemis saw his geniune offer. Last term he had taken a personal interest in making sure she passed all her classes, despite her 'Procrastination is My Method of Choice' stance on schoolwork. And, suprisingly, she had gotten some pretty decent marks, so, half gladly, half begrudgingly, their tutor/tutoree sessions had continued. And, currently, Artemis savored their time together. Savored it, even though Dick lived up to his name.

"Oh hardy har har," she replied, giving his arm a rather suggestive glance. "Are you asking for another bruise? Because, that's what it looks like." She raised her chin so she could look down haughtily at him past her lashes.

He raised his brows, dark eyes flicking to her neatly folded hands before catching hold of her gaze again. "Uh, no. Thank you," his fingers clutched at his upper arm, shielding the already sore spot in the case she wanted to doubly bruise him. _Smart boy_, Artemis thought appraisingly, giving him a predatory smile.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Are you busy this weekend?" her voice came out casually, but her heart had shot into hyperdrive, pit-pattering beneath her Gotham Academy uniform jacket. She saw his eyes widen in surprise. Despite the fact he still was Captain of the Mathletes, he knew what was going on this weekend. He knew it was Senior Prom. And he could probably deduce what was about to happen.

"N...No, I don't think so," he said. It sounded like his throat had gone dry. Was he really this nervous? As to say, was he as nervous as Artemis was? She however, plunged fearlessly on, hungry for the answer to her next question. She leaned in. He smelled slightly of chalk covered with designer cologne. It was poignant, but oh so delicious.

"Dick Grayson, annoying little shit, and my best friend at this hellhole," she waved her arm to gesture at him, scooping his limp hand in hers, "will you go to Senior Prom with me?" Her eyes sparkled with ernest anxiety, but she kept her pose relaxed and attempted to quiet her madly beating heart.

Grayson gazed at her for a long moment. The silence was like carbon monoxide, slowly choking her senses until all she could see was him. Him and his tousled hair and his perfect body and his snarky mouth. A tiny tingle ran up her arm when he squeezed her hand, nodding slightly. But she remained wary, not allowing herself to celebrate a victory just yet. His eyes were strangely blank and distant. Not the eyes of an ecstactic prom date. A thread of nerves stretched taut through her body, her grip on his hand tightening.

"I want to," he began.

That wasn't a confirmation. That wasn't a yes. That wasn't what she wanted to hear! Artemis froze. Her brain went into a loop. _shit. shit. Shit. SHIT._ Artemis cast her gaze angrily downward, a frown distorting her soft pink lips into a decidedly unhappy turn. Maybe if she stared hard enough, the rock would melt into a sizzling cesspool and the anger would leave her.

"I can't," he finished. His hand slid out of hers.

Boiling on the inside, she glanced up. She was ready to unleash this sudden storm of fury and hurt on him. How could he say no? Was she not good enough for his rich, snooty ass? Had she been immature or related to Catwoman, she'd be having a hissing, spitting fit. But she wasn't, so she settled for a rush of darkened cursewords directed at Dick Grayson. Her eyes sparked, flashing up, to look him in the eye as she cussed the hell out of him.

Grayson was gone. The bench was empty. The only sign he had really been there was the slight tingling that still lingered in her hand and that faint scent of chalk and cologne. She snorted, anger cooling to irritation. How had he done that? One minute he was there, the next he had vanished into thin air. Like freakin' Houdini. Or Batman. A sudden breeze caught her attention, and she looked warily around, expecting rain clouds on the horizon. Instead, she saw a shock of red head and bright green eyes.

"He's not worth it, Arty," a voice, one she associated with dumb puns and Megan's cookies, floated past her, bittersweet and isolated. But it wasn't possible. Artemis stared at the boy before her, unable to accept that it had finally happened. Another ripple of anger, tainted with fear, wound through her body, coiling her muscles into a tense spring. Her instincts was keening in alarm, urging her to flee or deny. It was numbing. So many questions bounced through her head. How had he found her? Was there chance she could bluff her way out of this? _How much did he know?_

Wally stood a few feet away, his hands buried in his pockets, looking grimly triumphant. His red hair was windswept, his shirt was wrinkled. He probably ran here from Central City. He looked so disheveled. But at the same time, his runner's physique didn't take her breath away. The anger and dread had already left her gasping for air.

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><p><em>There is subtext in this chapter. So much subtext!<em>

_Reviews make me so spectacularly happy. So extremely happy I could DIE. Or keep writing, y'know._

_For clarification's sake, Wally knows Robin's secret identity, and recently found out Artemis' [more on the how later]. Robin knows both Kid Flash's and Artemis' secret identites, because Wally told him and he hacked into the BatComputer to research Artemis previous to this fic. Artemis knows Kid Flash's secret identity, but not Robin's hence why she refers to him as 'Grayson' instead of 'Robin' whenever she talks about/to Dick Grayson. Like Robin, she's tried to keep her civilian identity away from the rest of the Young Justice team, so of course she's gonna flip now that Wally's found her outside of Mount Justice._

_DUDE. GUYS. Did you see Targets? CartoonNetwork's site had it up last night. Now today it's GONE. But it was so GREAT. Why is Kaldur such a BAMF?_

_I've updated zis chapter. Given it a little more beef. You like better, da?_


	4. Chapter 4

_This chapter. Oh this chapter. I've been agonizing over it for about a month. In my defense, a week of that month was me vacationing off in Mexico, but still... I blame my muse for taking a_ month_ long vacation. Anyway. This chapter. Really hard for me, simply because its told from Wally's perspective. And he's not cuttingly sarcastic like Artemis and he's not all taunting like Dick. He's more... flirtatious and open. But in this situation, he's really hurt and frustrated because of the chemistry that's happening between his love interest and best bro. And somehow that made it difficult for me to write. Tch Hopefully you guys liiiike this chapter and haven't completely given up on me. I'm still here!_

_Wally, Dick and Artemis are beautiful people under the ownership of DC and CN. I can happily rewatch Targets now. WOO! (copyright Bruce Wayne) One of the characters featured in this is a veiled version of two of my best internet buddies and at least one of the owns herself. The other one? Not so sure. Hurrhurr.  
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><p><strong>Shoot Straight for the Heart<br>**Wally

Yeah, he had run down the East Coast down to Gotham. He spent all of two minutes zipping down the literal coast, kicking up a spray of wet sand on indignant beach-goers as he went. When the tall, grimy buildings and smog filled sky of Gotham came into view, the teenaged speedster slowed some, his feet padding through the drier sand as he turned course inland.

At the city limits, Wally actually stopped full-force, eyeing the _Welcome to Gotham City_ sign with distrust born of one too many adventures gone wrong in the city of sin. Batman would probably castrate him for skidding around his turf, but, as Wally so maturely decided, if the Batman ever tried to incinerate him with that... _Batglare_, KF could always dive behind Uncle Barry and cower until the coast was clear. The older speedster had _somehow_ built up an immunity to the BatGlare of Doom, so naturally, Wally could- and would- use his uncle as shield and take whatever scolding the Flash lay on him later rather than let Bats melt the flesh off his face.

So with a determined set to his shoulders, Wally lifted his right foot and stepped gingerly into Gotham. As soon as the toe of his tennis shoe touched the pavement within the city limits, the redhead flinched, shutting his eyes and scrunching up his nose. (_Aw crap. There's gonna be an explosion. Batman's gonna find me. Batman's gonna kill me. Aw crap. Aw crap. Awcrapawcrap._)

...A second passed- and to a speedster, that was basically a minute. He still refused to open his eyes, and waited, tensed at the border.

A few more seconds trickled by. Still nothing. (_Uh, Batman? I'm ready for you to jump out like some bad horror film, now_.) Nothing sounded, beside the usual far off sound of cars and sirens. Definitely no whoosh of a cape or hum of a batarang. Deciding that half-a-minute was more than enough time to wait for the Batman to come and berate him, Wally opened his brilliant green eyes, casting a cautiously optimistic look around his immediate area, paying special attention to the rooftops.

...Well, now that he had successfully infiltrated Gotham, Wally had some work to do. All part of his hastily slapped together plan that he had been concocting of the very long past few hours. Stage one was already complete. It was a bid for information and it went a little something like this...

_"Dude, com'on."_

_"No, KF."_

_"_Dude, _it's not like I'm asking for a lot here. Just a tiny, little tidbit."_

_"I'm quite sure I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Rob, you've breached the brocode. This is the _least_ you can do to make up for your deficit of brotitude."_

_"Wha- No I didn't!"_

_"Rob..."_

_"...No."_

_"..."  
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_"... _Fine. _She'll be at Gotham Academy. Bench in the courtyard at the front of the school. Three-ten."_

_"Thanks bro. That's aster. Mega aster. Superaster."_

_"I'm whelmed, Kid Mouth. _Really_ whelmed."_

Sure, he felt a little guilty, but, in a sense, Robin deserved it. Robin, who claimed to be his_ best_ friend and then, suddenly, lookit that, his "best friend"'s secret identity is inserting himself into _his_ time with Arty. It's just... not cool. Not cool at all. The speedster, being his upbeat, awesome self, had shrugged it off the first few times the archer had brought up the 'nerdy, scrawny, not as awesome as Wally' Dick Grayson (_totally_ not his wording, there, scout's honor). But after a while of shrugging it off, his metaphorical arms got tired. The topic just didn't go away.

Kid Flash felt a little resentful, and not just because Artemis was hero-worshipping a _mathlete_; it was like everyone was pairing up. Superboy and Miss Martian, while never obvious about it, walked around with their hand interlaced, making cookies together and covertly smiling at each other. Kaldur escaped to Atlantis whenever he got the chance, coming back to Mount Justice tired but pleased, and once, when the Atlantean had passed out on the couch with exhaustion, Wally had heard him sleep mumble a name: "Tula." So that left Artemis, Robin and Kid Flash unpaired. And from the way things were going, it was going to be Kid Flash alone. Just... _alone_. He felt an unhappy drop- like that time he tripped mid-way over the Atlantic and went skimming over the water like a skipping stone- in the pit of his stomach. Not a good feeling.

So... _maybe_ he could still fix it. Maybe he could still prevent himself from being alone.

Maybe... that was him being optimistic.

His green eyes scanned the courtyard of Gotham Academy and, a few seconds later, picked out the girl with long, blond hair and her back toward him. With a twinge of annoyance, the speedster realized the archer in disguise was talking Dick Grayson. What a surprise. Dick caught Wally's eye, the younger boy's gaze distant and glazed but, beneath that, there was something like regret. Wally's stare hardened, a frown crossing his lips, moving toward his two teammates. Dick's attention returned to Artemis. Wally was close enough to their bench to hear the next to words that fell from the acrobat's mouth.

"I can't."

Artemis' head was ducked, turned furiously away from her classmate. The speedster could guess what he had interrupted, if he really wanted to, but he preferred to snort contemptuously from a safe distance. Dick stood, casting Wally a sullen look, his striking eyes clouded with a set of emotions the redhead would rather not think about. The speedster nodded his thanks to his bro and the dark-haired boy looked away, hastily retreating into a crowd of rowdy football players. As the burly boys passed, Wally scanned for Dick amongst them, but Batman's ward vanished. Stupid ninja training. Wally still felt slightly paranoid. Was Dick still watching, hidden?

"He's not worth it, Arty," Wally spoke up, hesitantly, but then with more conviction. Artemis twisted in her seat, her dark eyes widening. A hint of fear crossed her face, replaced by a hard look. Well, maybe he could've planned this better. Was it something he said? Dick definitely wasn't worth it. He was always so full of secrets and hidden agendas. Even when he became leader of Young Justice, Boy Wonder had never really gotten into the habit of explaining the big picture to his teammates. He always kept them in the dark. That type of person wasn't worth a relationship. Right?

"Arty?" the blond snapped. Then she seemed to gather herself, looking down her nose at him and standing with her backpack on her shoulders. Oh, she was going to run for it was she? Well good luck out-running the fastest boy alive.

Giving her a scornful look in return, Wally sneered back, "What you really thought I couldn't find you? And you think I'm dumb enough not to recognize your ugly face?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Artemis snarled, her hand covering the Gotham Academy emblem on her jacket. Like Kid Flash couldn't see the super-sized sign behind her that said "GOTHAM CITY ACADEMY: EXCELLENCE THROUGH AMBITION." Yeah, good one Arty. His eyes narrowed defensively into glittering green slits at her harsh tone. He came to mend their broken relationship, the _least_ she could do was be grateful. Some people just didn't know when to shuddup and let the mojo flow. "And I don't know what you think you're doing _here._"

"I'm standing, Crocky," he hissed lowly, closing the space between them. He felt now was a good time to make this a private conversation. He noticed how she took a step back when he approached her and how she leaned away from her, her fingers curling into a fist. She definitely wasn't feeling the mojo. Which, by the way, mojo was a completely scientific term. Just so you know.

"_Shut up,_" her eyes glinted dangerously, and she slipped her backpack on over her jacket, careful to hide the Academy insignia embroidered on her breast pocket. Kid Flash supposed this was her way of concealing her identity. Her extremely crappy way of concealing her identity. Honestly, Superboy could put together that Artemis Crock and Artemis of Young Justice were one and the same, and he still acting like he was barely out of the test tube. Nevertheless, the amount of venom in her voice... well, a rattlesnake oughta be jealous. His expression soured.

Folding his arms, he gave her what he thought was the most disbelieving, wounded look he could muster, pressing his lips together and widening his expressive eyes. She snorted, a slight breeze passing the pair by, sounding faintly of a ghostly, humorless laugh. Wally cast a look over his shoulder, narrowing his gaze, ready to bet that he'd find the leering smile of Dick Grayson peering out from behind a bush or something. It'd be just like the Batman's protege to spy on them. A prickle ran up his spine, a feel of someone's eyes on his back. Wally pursed his lips, turning his head back to Artemis.

The blonde was glowering at him, her body language entirely closed off to him. Her hands were on her hips, polished nails digging into the fabric of her pants, eying him with something that was remarkably close to hatred. A sliver of uncertainty caused his resolution to falter. Maybe this wasn't such a solid plan. Stage two? Well, it was supposed to be Artemis realizing that Wally was such a great guy and that she should start paying him s'more attention, beca And now he was verbally fending off this she-demon all because he wanted to patch things up. How's that for gratitude?

"Hey Artemis, who's your friend?"

Wally's eyes whipped around, regarding the new person with a smirk. Sounded like someone _else_ was interested in the Wall-Man. It was a girl with fluffy, highlighted hair. Purple locks framed her face, transitioning into glossy raven black hair. She brushed her bangs out of her face, eying Wally with interest in her eyes. Oh yeah, now here was a girl with taste. Wally opened his mouth to respond with some totally smooth response, but somehow, Artemis beat him to the punch.

"Don't waste your breath, Syd," Artemis put in snidely, waving at Wally like he was pestering fly she wanted to swat. It was insulting. "He's nothing special. He's a geek with too much time on his hands." Wally frowned. He only spewed random facts to help educate people. That didn't make him a geek, no Sir. And if Syd wanted to talk to him, well there was no law against it. Whisking over to Syd's side, while simultaneously blocking off the archer from the conversation, Wally stuck out a hand, which Syd took. He made a point to glance over his shoulder and catch Artemis in a smug glare, to which she returned with a rude hand gesture that ought to have earned her a suspension.

"I'm Wally, a friend of Artemis'," the redhead grinned. Syd squeezed his hand, scrutinizing him with an appraising look. She was totally into him. No one could resist him.

"He's more like a stalker urchin that won't leave me alone," Artemis corrected pointedly. Well, almost no one could resist him. The blond gave Syd a stern look, putting her hands on her hips. In Wally's opinion she looked like an overbearing version of Black Canary, though, significantly less hot. "Seriously, Syd. Can we get some privacy please?" The blond's gritted teeth and balled fists were more than enough to convince that poor girl that she obviously wouldn't get a piece of the Wall-Man today.

Syd threw Wally another small smile before ducking out of the conversation, saying, "It's okay, I gotta talk to Chey, anyway. Later."

"Later," Wally and Artemis said together, before glaring at each other. Syd stared then backed away, meeting up with "Chey" where they whispered hurriedly together behind their hands. They were probably talking about how great the redhead looked. It was a common topic whenever Wally showed up anywhere.

Scowling, the redhead crossed his arms. Arty still hadn't removed her fists from her hips. She looked so completely against him. Geez. Two years and he still struggled to figure her out. It was crazy. No girl should be this hard to follow. They stood, two heroes, glaring across a gap at each other. Even though Wally was a chatty person, he was _not_ going to break the icy hard block of silence that stood between them. She'd have to wise up and talk this out. Their pane of arctic silence stretched on. For Wally, who was used to accomplishing impressive feats in the space of mere seconds, it was agonizing. Every second ticked by slower than the last. And his opponent did not seem any more willing to break their impressive silence than he did. But he bit his tongue and stared stonily at the girl before him.

Her ponytail tossed angrily, tawny hair catching the grim Gotham sunlight. It looked remarkably like horse's butt. Pursing her lips, Artemis finally cracked the quiet stewing before them. "I'm not interested in what crackpot reason you have for coming here, geek. But if you tell anyone," her eyes narrowed, glinting seriously, "and I swear, any future children you planned on having_vanish_, along with your dignity." Oh no, she didn't mean _that?_ No. No way would _anyone_ be_that_ sadis- Artemis narrowed her eyes further, like she had read his mind. Her head cocked and she regarded him with a cruel smirk. "You don't think so? I _dare_you to test me, speedfreak."

Well, as tempting as that sounded. Wally shook his head, saying casually, "Nah, I believe you, Artefact." He's lips quirked into a smirk, satisfied with the mutilation of her name. Her brow furrowed even further, clearly she wasn't getting the hilarity of her new nickname. And he tossed out, even more nonchalantly, if possible, "If you're wondering how I managed to track you down-" Artemis' eyes lit up, hungry for information. And he'd give her information all right- "you'll be wanting to ask that _acrobat_ who so kindly bailed on you." The speedster gave her a pointed look over his shoulder, where Dick had vanished. In hindsight, Wally remembered that Artemis hadn't seen which direction the Wayne ward had vanished to, but he still achieved the desired effect.

Realization dawned in her dark eyes, her hands falling limply to her sides, lips parting slightly. "Wha- What're you implying, dweeb?" she retorted, but with less snap and more uncertainty. She seemed to be grasping at the pieces of her composure, hastily trying to put back together her broken facade of anger and resentment. Wally smirked unpleasantly, pleased with her obvious difficultly accepting the truth. The bare truth that her best friend and current school girl crush was actually the Boy Wonder in disguise. And of course, that was always followed by the nasty shock of '_Holy mistaken identity! _Bruce Wayne _is _Batman?' Still, Artemis might be a little more fixated on Dick and Robin being one and the same, rather than the secret ID of the Batman. Since, apparently, she liked Dick a whole lot more than Wally.

Tapping his nose with his forefinger, the speedster grinned nastily, "If you can't figure it out, you're the reason I have so many blond jokes, Arte_choke_." Then he turned heel, and blasted off, leaving a trail of wind behind. As he ran, he didn't pay attention for her calling after him, demanding he explain. He wished he could say that he felt completely free. Hey, he had cleared up his issue with Artemis. Seemed like she was too much of a... female dog to spend his time chasing. But, while he wore a triumphant grin, his insides clenched unhappily. Wally didn't feel like a winner. He didn't feel like he should be celebrating. He felt like he wanted to crawl into dark pit and die. Robin might've breached the bro code, but Wally felt like he ripped the code in half. He shouldn't of told her.

But he did.

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><p><em>The end.<em>

_Oh God, how many of you would hate me for ending this baby right here, right meow? I would hate me for ending it right here, so I don't blame any of you who are might be clutching your hearts or swearing heavily in my direction. So, no this is not the end for our little triangle. After all, Wally just smashed the bro code into a sobbing mess and Artemis is now aware of _both_ Robin's idenities. Holy molars, Batman! This is going to be intense. Next chapter should be our last, and we'll be hitching alongside Robin as he deals with the ugly aftermath of Wally and Artemis' conversation. For every other rich kid (or scholarship-bound kid) in Gotham, it'll be the night of the Prom. And on Prom, magicial things happen, though Wally staunchly denies the fact that there's magic during Prom and says it's most likely the product of spiked punch._

_This chapter featured two of my favoritest internet buddies: Syd and Chey. You two know who you are. I just slapped their names on some vague Gotham Academy students, which ironically enough, Chey wouldn't get into because she's a slacker. Ask anyone. Just kidding, I love you. Shout out to Fallen, too, but unfortunately, I didn't think having a girl named 'McFallen Awesomesville' would fit into the story, so I'll just urge everyone to take a looksie at This Fallen Shadow. She's great with the fluff and angst.  
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_Anyways, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. I'll be working on my Amensia&YJ fic now, so I'll let this one dangle for good few weeks before turning my attention back onto it. Mwahaha. I truly am evil aren't I? Bless your face, yo. I love reading your reviews! Thanks for the support you guys! Hurr!_


	5. Chapter 5

_OH HI. Long time no see, strangers! __CONFETTI! IT'S A PARTY._

_I admit, I've been slacking. But I blame the ending, because I can. I was writing it, and I was trying to fit it all nice and neat into one final chapter, but then it was like, LOL CAN'T BE TAMED!11! So, this is not the beginning of the end. Drag, right? We're trapped together on this wonderful ride for another few rounds at least (three or four more chapters, depending on how I write up the next fic). _

_But, guys, in all seriousness, YOUR REVIEWS. I mean, I write for you guys (and for me, but that's not importante right now). When you review me, I get all warm and fuzzy and generous and writer-y. So review review review! YOU'LL GET A FREE SUPERBOY.*_

_*I'm not to be held liable if Superboy a) sees some monkeys and rages out of his shipping crate b) attracts adorable toddlers c) isn't actually mine to give. He, and the rest of YJ belong to CN and DC._

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><p><strong>Shoot Straight for the Heart<br>**Dick

Well, this just overall sucked.

No, no, it went beyond sucking to and jumped straight into the maw of the blackhole of anti-aster.

Dick Grayson knew he was an oddball. Even without his seven year career as the Boy Wonder on his resume, his circus background and quirky personality would've been enough to put him in the crosshairs of any elementary school bully.

Unluckily for him, the aforementioned quirkiness in alliance with his adoptive status had landed him squarely in socially choppy waters. Dick was likable enough as a civilian, but it was hard to suppress himself in the life of tuxedos and bow ties when he was raised thinking a playdate with elephants was a completely acceptable past time.

Still, under Bruce's guidance, Dick coped.

But, that meant he was also trained by Batman, aka the Greatest Detective. those little tiny details that were so often overlooked by others stood out in stark, glaring relief to him. A blessing-curse type deal. Except now, it was looking a whole lot more of a curse than a blessing. Bad enough that regret and guilt were crawling to the forefront of thought all the time, toying with his concentration. Worse still when Dick actually managed focus on something, because that something was usually a senior with long, blonde hair and a sharp disposition that he found so completely attractive.

It started after that _dis_astrous Monday. It was common sense that Dick's lack of enthusiasm to escort Artemis to the Prom equated to Artemis' severe disapproval. He had expected- no, he had _known_ she wouldn't be exactly _happy_. The fact that he didn't explain why he was rejecting her offer probably pissed her off more. In retrospect, it hadn't been the best time to execute the whole 'ninja'ing out' thing he so often deployed. He probably should of given her some excuse. _Any_ excuse.

_"Bruce is hosting some big fancy gala that I have to attend."_

_"Last minute trip to Tripoli, for a research paper; Bruce thinks I should be thorough."_

_"Alfred's taking me to a concert in New York."_

_"Mathlete practice. Big competition coming up."_

But he was tired. He was tired of lying. Tired of lying to her. To himself. The acrobat couldn't muster himself to force another lie up past through his lips. He just _couldn't_. He had been lying for years; it should've been simple. Batman had trained him to lie with his words and his movements, and he had learned easily enough how to spin believable nothings. It should've alarmed him that Artemis was breaking him down, robbing him of ability to do something as simple as lying. But somehow, he was okay with that.

And then, the young ward had raised his gaze, their eyes notching together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces, like an arrow to the bowstring. Internally he measured each breath, carefully regulating his inhales and slowly exhaling, keeping his heartbeat steady, draining emotion from his face. The moment was riddled with such indecision. He couldn't decide. There was too much pressure. How could he choose? It was one of those insurmountable situations; two hostages, both people, both with lives and friends and homes and families... how could Robin choose to save just _one?_

Dick swallowed uneasily, clearing his throat softly, blinking, stirring himself out of the slight trance he had fallen under. Still, he forced himself to remain aloof.

_Wally or Artemis. Wally? Or Artemis? ... Artemis? Or Wally? Best friend? First love?_

Her hand squeezed his, pulling his vote in her favor, his pulse admittedly skidded over a few beats before falling back into a normal tempo.

The tips of her fingers, unadorned with nail polish, were slightly callused. He knew it was from frenzied training with her bow. Usually from 17:00 to 19:00, EST. Five to seven. In the Mountain's shooting range. Because her small apartment in Gotham couldn't afford the distance she required to hone her skills.

Her question still hung unanswered between them. He was still tottering on the thin high-wire between the shark tank and the lion's den.

The acrobat drew in a breath to lie.

But... instead of saying Bruce had a gala or the Mathletes had practice, Dick felt his mouth rebel.

"I want to," he uttered, his voice quiet, edging toward brokenness. And he _hated_ how that was how the truth sounded. He mentally kicked himself. Why couldn't he just _lie?_

Then he laughed at the irony. It had become a sin to tell the truth. He'd known that for a while now; he had known since Batman debuted Robin. But now, it hit a lot closer to home.

There again, his detective skills kicked up. The ward picked up on Artemis' distress; he could see the sudden rigidness in her posture. he could feel her nails digging into the back of his hand (but he welcomed the pain as a distraction).

Their shared gaze snapped in half, Artemis twisted her face away from him, glaring at the ground, anticipating his next words, maybe even sensing him forcing the lie up from his throat. Unable to watch her expression crumple when he delivered the final blow, he cast his glassy eyes over her shoulder.

A shock of red hair caught his attention.

Wally stood just inside the courtyard of Gotham Academy. His casual clothing was drawing the attention of the uniformed elite of Gotham's younger generation, but the speedster paid them no mind, his green-eyed stare was shooting straight for Dick's. As soon as their eyes met, a shadow of jealousy passed over the red-head's usually jovial face, lips tightening into a hard line.

Wally started forward, hands thrust deep into his pants' pockets. A flutter of desperation beat inside the acrobat's chest. The three of them couldn't be together. Not right now. Not without making a scene. There was too much of a risk involving melodrama and, not to mention, secret identities.

So, he forced himself to speak past the hard lump in his throat. "I can't," he added, tone subdued, withdrawing his hand from hers. She didn't stop him. His downtrodden expression remained directed toward the speedster as he leaped lightly to his feet. The two boys exchanged a brief nod; but, it was more like a surrender, really. The Boy Wonder (not feeling particularly wonderful at the moment) in disguise slunk away, fading seamlessly into a noisy batch of football players. Unthinkingly, the dark-haired youth glanced over his shoulder, watching Wally stride up to Artemis, before Dick disappeared, alone.

He thought about casually "overhearing" their conversation.

He didn't.

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><p>Dick had gone home, after escaping the definitely <em>over<em>whelming sense of defeat. From the backseat of the discreet black Mercedes, Dick had slumped against the armrest, throwing a moody gaze out over the passing cityscape. Every exhale fogged up the tinted windows, only to evaporate seconds afterword. Apparently, his lackluster attitude was not missed.

"Troubles, Master Richard?" Alfred inquired, meeting Dick's answering look from the review mirror with a slightly knowing look.

"Don't wanna talk about it," the boy replied, flicking his attention back to the country lane that had taken place of the shimmering skyscrapers of Gotham's wealthier districts.

"As you wish, though, I must impress that nothing lifts my spirits as does a fresh perspective."

"That your way of being polite-nosy instead of obvious-nosy?" Dick remarked dully, tapping the controls to the limo's tinted windows, allowing a sliver of breeze to glide into the cabin.

"I'll leave such assumptions to you, Master Richard."

The boy huffed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He toyed with the idea of spilling out his beautiful blond problem to Alfred for a moment. On one hand, Alfred was approachable about these types of things, a _helluva_ lot more than Bruce _or_ Batman. On the other hand, Dick didn't want to seem stupid or childish. This was such a... a trivial thing (even though "trivial" was definitely a fluid, subjective term at the moment), it definitely seemed pathetic that he was so overwhelmed about it. But that didn't make him anymore willing to admit how deep his internal struggle ran.

"There's a girl," he started vaguely, watching Alfred's reaction carefully. The butler-turned-driver made no comment, but his eyes slid back onto the road rolling past. The only sound was the gravel crunching crisply beneath the Mercedes' tires. And Dick felt compelled to add, "And I like her, but there's whelming complications..." He trailed off, lamely, embarrassed.

"Well, Master Richard, considering the... ehm- _'whelming'_ deficit of information given, I'm afraid I can only offer fairly general advice. Do what _feels_ right. As I have expressed on numerous occasions past, you have a finely honed sense of intuition. And... should things pan out unfavorably, at least it won't be for the lack of trying."

The black cloud hanging around Dick's head lightened slightly; there was some hope, after all. It wasn't like Wally was irrevocably locked in onto Artemis forever... in time, the speedster could find a new ponytail to chase; the speedster had a habit of hitting on anything with boobs in sight... And it wasn't like Artemis or Dick were going anywhere anytime soon. _Maybe_- after a few months, of course- they had a chance. It wasn't ideal, but Dick could live with it.

In the mean time, the show must go on. Like any performer, the acrobat would fake it until he made it.

With a second wind, Dick moved the conversation away from archer troubles, chatting comfortably with Alfred about school as they rolled up the long drive to Wayne Manor. There, Alfred swept off to prepare dinner and Dick burned through his homework, concentrating wholly on finding the domain and range of functions.

That night, the young acrobat was slightly more confident that this whole thing would blow over in a few weeks. He and Artemis would be thick as thieves again. Eventually. All she needed was time. Except, what he thought was going to happen and what _did_ happen were two completely polar ideas.

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><p>Tuesday wasn't so bad. Dick Grayson had gone to school, carefully avoiding Artemis before school, but mentally prepared himself for snark and her blistering contempt. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, after all (something Dick had witnessed firsthand when one of Bruce's quickly shifting girlfriends went- pardon the French- batshit crazy).<p>

What he _actually_ found at school on that bleak Tuesday morning, was no Artemis.

In both Robin and Dick's opinions, Artemis wasn't the type to let such a _small_ issue like a rejection get to her. She was tougher than that, something she constantly reminded him of. But now, he felt her absence yawning before him like some great chasm. He wondered if his refusal to take her to Prom had inflicted more damage than he had anticipated. But even though she probably cursed his name and wanted nothing more than a few minutes alone with him and a baseball bat, he missed her. If he could count on anything constant, it was her tough as nails attitude. And without her, the day dragged itself through the dust like Clayface confronted with an intense blowdryer.

Alright, no big deal, he could survive. So school wasn't as lively. So he heard the whispers again_. 'Oh look, there goes Cirque de Freak.' 'Y'know, he was in the circus because he was the tiniest Dick out there, right?' 'Pffft, good one Jay.' 'Look at that white trash. He thinks he owns the place.'_

Oh yeah. School definitely sucked again. And as infuriating as it was to the social pariah, there wasn't anything Dick could do about it but walk poker-stiff through his classes. Even if he was _willing_ to abuse the tech and abilities at his disposal, there wasn't much he could do to halt the gossip mill. It relentless churned out new rumors twenty-four-seven.

He came home that day moody and short-tempered, listlessly picking apart the scrumptious dinner Alfred had conjured from the essence of deliciousness before heading upstairs to cram in as much studying and homework before tomorrow's math quiz.

Instead, he found himself drawing up a detailed blueprint on how ask Artemis to Prom, before catching himself with a rueful shake of his head. He crumpled the plan into a tight wad before sinking it effortlessly in the trash.

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><p><em>Hopefully, this tides you over. The next installment is half-way written and the one after that is planned out quiet nicely. I'll let you all assume that means I'm prepared. BWAHAHA what is punctuality?<em>

_Next chapter, we're latching on to Artemis' POV on the Wednesday before Prom. When she comes back to school. Where Dick is. Where Robin is. /waggles brows_

_Remember. Reviews are like my kryptonite. If I know you guys dig the story, I'm more motivated to crank out a new chapter for you. Just 'plaining the mechanics. Till next time, my sweet, sweet readers. xoxoxo_


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